QoSTA are a rock band, occasionally bordering on heavy but managing to cross over enough to appeal to the indie, stoner and teen brigades. They came into being in the late 90s but I didn’t pick up on them until the summer of 2000 when Lost Art….became something of a minor hit in the UK, reaching #31 in the single chart and leading me to go out and purchase parent album Rated R. It was an album that had some very exceptional moments, including the infectiously catchy chant-a-long other single lifted from it:-

One listen and you’ll realise why it struggled to get air time on mainstream/daytime radio.

I think what’s really hit me is that I’ve come to a realisation that having not really kept up with much new music outside of Scotland since the turn of the century, everything I have somehow feels newish and I’ve no real focal or reference points with which to gauge things. It’s a total contrast to the late 70s and 80s where music really was the be-all and end-all and hearing many a song from that era will take me immediately back to a place, time and/or incident which can spring to mind without delay. I certainly wouldn’t have had any issue, back in 2000, coming to terms with the fact that some great song or other dated back to 1982. But I just can’t get my head around that it’s been 18 years since I went out and purchased a QoSTA album for the one and only time.

The CD I got back for my cash featured a five-track bonus disc, with one of the songs being a surprising yet enjoyable cover:-

JC

Share this:

Like this:

5 thoughts on “WHATEVER YOU DO….DON’T TELL ANYONE”

I read this article and immediately thought “I must listen to Sugar” – not the band- the song, although I do like Sugar-the-band. Could I find a link to Sugar by QotSA anywhere? No. A conspiracy? But, for what purpose? Some moments later I realised that Sugar was not by QotSA but by System of a Down. So, thank you for that puzzling ‘senior’ moment. Both of the bands straddled the murky world of pop / rock with aplomb and I joined them, for a while. I was always much more of fan of Sugar-the-band and its mighty predecessor Husker Du. One article and I’m off skipping down nostalgia lane. Now, where did I put Land Speed Record?

What a great album ‘Rated R’ is! I don’t think QOTSA have ever better it – never knew/realised ‘Who’ll Be The Next In Line’ was a Kinks cover. They also covered The Kinks on the follow up album ‘Songs For The Deaf’ with a cracking version of ‘Everybody’s Gonna Be Happy’ – definitely worth checking out (even if SFTD is a patchier than Rated R)

I’m with Richard: these are great songs and QOTSA’s Kinks covers are outstanding. I was a pretty big fan until Coachella 2011 when I had to shield my daughter and her friend from an overly rambunctious mosh pit. Broke a toe but kept all my teeth. Oh well, they’re still a great band.

I remember working on an indie movie shoot (unpaid runner) in the offices of a London Radio station the fist time I heard this song. It was on air as we were setting up and I juts lived the bands name. Since then I’ve had two careers. Got married bought houses, farms and seen this band at least 7 times. Time is weird

What gives Queens Of The Stone Age credibility with so many fans of different rock and roll styles is all down to the musical acumen of lead singer Josh Homme. Homme is a student and fan of Rock and Roll – of all kinds of Rock and Roll. He is one of three R+R artists that always have time for. The other two are Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters and Mark Lanegan of Screaming Trees.